Garden tractor



Dec. 26, 1950 c. VAN AUSDALL GARDEN TRACTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July17, 1946 INVENTOR. Z522 Hascz]! Dec. 26, 1950 c, VAN AUSDALL 2,535,614

GARDEN TRACTOR Filed July 17, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 26,1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GARDEN TRACTOR GarlVan Ausdall,Liberty, Ind.

Application July 1 7, 1946,,Se1'ialNo. 684,173

(01. ISO-19) 11 Claims. 1, This. invention relates. to a. tractor, whichis designed especiallyvfor home use or limited commercial application,and wherein are desired the advantages of low cost, lightweight, easymanipulation, and diversity of services: My co-pending applications,Serial No. 14,253, filed March 11, 1948, now Patent No. 2535;615,granted December 26, 1950,, and Serial No. 92;487, filed May 12; l949aredivisions of? this application.

An object of the invention is the incorporation "of: the above featuresin a small powerful tractor, which may be used in many ways toperformsuch services as garden plowing, andi cul tivating, lawn rolling andmowing, weed cutting, planting and the like, including, also such otherservice as might ordinarily be performed A further objecti to provide ina tractor of the kind referred to, novel and" advantageous control meansdesigned to enhance the operation andtheversatility ofthe device;

Another object is to provide the device with means whereby arefacilitated and simplified the interchanging of tools or attachments,and the making ofany repairs or replacements of parts that might becomeworn or damaged during the lifetime of the tractor.

Another object is to provide the tractor with various desirable featuresof advantage and convenience to the user, all as will be explained in"detailhereinafter.

The foregoing and other objects are attained by the means describedherein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings; in which:

Fig. 11 is a side elevational view oirthe; im-

proved tractor.

Fig; 2 is a cross-sectionalview on an enlarged scale, taken oniline Z-2of Fig; I.

Fig; 3 is a rear view or the: cultivator attachment illustrated: at therear of the 1 tractor frame,

uponrFig, l. i

Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan' View ofra hitchmem- "berefor the cultivatorattachment.

his. 5 is a fragmental elevational view oiva clutch control assemblyillustrated atthe lefto Fig.2 2;

Fig. 6 is a front", elevational: view. of: the. trapfatigue andconserving the time and: effort of i 'the operator.

tonshowing the details of a kick stand and motor mount, which, formdetails of the invention.

Fig.1? is a perspective view of the front end of the tractor frame,illustrating the kickstand and a: lawn mower attachment, the motor fordriving thertractor being omitted.

:Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of; a lawn mower attachment bracketwhich is: illustrated also byFig. '7. i

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view in section of a speedresponsive automaticclutch of the mercury centrifugal type.

Tractors intended for service in the care of gardens? and lawns,previously have been introduced to the market at various times andmoonsiderable numbers, in the hope of popularizing that type of machineto such an extent as to render the manufacture thereof sufiicientlyprofitable to warrant sales at low costs. Up to the present time thathope has not been realized; and it is now appreciated that failure topopularize the garden tractor resulted from a lack of basicconsiderations that should properly enter intothe mechanical designingofsuch a machine. By way of example, it is common knowledge: that gardentractors heretofore have beeni undesirably large, heavy and diflicultfor the averageuser to manipulate. The problem, therefore, has been toarrive at a structuraldesign that would reduce size and weight, while atthe same time retaining the necessary power, durability, and tractionfactors, with provision made for easymanipulation in service.

Other disadvantages of tractors heretofore proposed, were that theyperformed only a few services, and were therefore" not suiiicientlyversatile in serviceability to warrant expenditure of the fundsnecessary for the purchase of the machine. It was found that tractorssuitable for' plowin and cultivating, for example, were not suitable foruse in mowing and raking ailawn, and conversely, machines suitedformowing and raking a lawn were wholly inadeua-te t0? perform the servicesof plowing and cultivating in the garden. In addition to the foregoingdisadvantages, garden tractors as previously-offered had a high centerofgravity and were poorly balanced, with the result that normal usageimposed strain and fatigue upon the iperson of the operator to such anextent as to" seriously impair productivity and the" ability to carry" agiven job to completion with a minimum expenditure of time and effort.The work ofwapplying and removingtool and attachumentswto the prior,machines, likewise wasa job of considerable magnitude, and in manyinstances required such mechanical knowledge as was not within theexperience of the average user. It was not unusual to find that theappli cation and removal of attachments and toolsrequired the servicesof two persons, particularly when the tractor was of the single tractionwheel type.

The foregoing objections and disadvantages could be elaborated uponconsiderably, by taking into account all of the various types oftractors which heretofore have been offered upon the market, but sincethe present specification is to be devoted to an explanation of theimproved machine and its advantages, rather than to the faults anddisadvantages of others, the statements above presented will suffice inproviding a basis upon which to establish the merits of the presentmachine. It will become evident as the description proceeds, that thepresent machine obviates all of the undesirable features anddisadvantages of the prior machines, while at the same timeincorporating many advantages and improvements of merit.

Referring to the drawing, the characters 12 and I3 indicate separateside members spaced apart in substantial parallelism to constitute theframe of the tractor. The side members may be joined by means of a rearcross or frame member I 4 arranged in spanning relationship thereto, andfastened to the rear ends of the side members in any suitable manner, asby means of bolts I5. Rear frame member l4 may properly be referred toas a hitch mount, by reason of the fact that it supports such tools orattachments as are to be pulled or dragged in the operation of thetractor.

At the forward ends, the frame side members I2 and I3 are connected andmaintained in spaced parallelism by means of the motor mounting elementor cross member, which is most clearly illustrated at It of Fig. '7.Attachment of the motor mounting element to the side members may beeifected by means of screws, bolts or other fasteners IT, and by meansof similar fasteners ID as shown, adapted to pass through the series ofopening l8 of the motor mounting element. As will be understood, screwsor bolts located as indicated at H and i8. and entering endwise intothreaded bores in the forward ends of the side members, will serve tomaintain a substantially rectangular disposition of the frame parts as awhole. With the motor mounting element l fixed relative to the frameside members, a motor l9 may be mounted thereon by passing bolts throughthe base of the motor and through openings 20 formed in the motormounting element l6. Al-

though the motor as herein disclosed is an internal combustion motoroperating with liquid fuel, it might in some instances be replaced withan electrically powered motor, when desired.

The motor preferably is mounted upon the tractor with its main shaft 2!in substantial parallelism with the maior axis of the tractor frame, andit may carry a pulley or other power transmission element 22 arranged todrive a worm shaft 23 journaled in bearings provided in the frame sidemember l3 (Fig. 1). Shaft 23 extends forwardly through an opening 24 ofthe motor mounting element (Fig. '7), and carries a power transmissionelement 25 which may be in the form of a pulley, this pulley beingdriven from pulley 22 by. means of a suitable belt 26. This drive,

of course, might obviously be effected using sprockets and a chain inplace. of the belt and 4 pulley referred to. In furtherance of theeffort toward compactness, weight reduction, and lowering the center ofgravity, the power transmission element 25 may depend into a well ordepression 2? formed in the motor mounting element as illustrated byFigs. 6 and '7. For convenience in forming the well 2i and other partsof the motor mounting element, the latter may be fabricated as a castingof suitable metal, or if desired, it may be produced from pressed sheetmetal. The frame side members I2 and i3 preferably are cast fromaluminum or other light-weight metal.

Shaft 23, which is journaled in antifriction bearings near the opening 2at its forward end, and at the location 28 near its rear end, carries aworm 29 which is fixed to the shaft, and which engages the teeth of aworm gear 30 keyed to the traction wheel shaft or axle 3!. The worm gearis adapted to run in oil or grease contained within the gear case 32which is formed integrally with the frame side member 13, said casebeing closed by means of a removable cover 33 screwed, bolted orotherwise detachably mounted upon the gear case at the locations 34. Asuificient number of fasteners 34 are furnished about the periphery ofthe gear case cover, to avoid the possibility of lubricant leakage, aswill be understood.

It may be noted that the worm gear will constantly pick up lubricantfrom the sump within the gear case, and carry it to the worm 29 whichoverlies the worm gear. By so disposing the worm above the gear, anopportunity is afforded for further lowering the center of gravity ofthe tractor, while at the same time the lubricant is not churned by theactivity of the worm thereby avoiding the liability of bringing sludgeand other foreign particles into contact with the engaging teeth of theworm and worm gear. Another important advantage of this arrangement isthat the overdriving of the worm gear by the worm wheel tends to liftthe forward end of the tractor when the tire meets with excessiveresistance while traveling in a furrow or through heavy soil.

Under normal circumstances, however, the weight of the motor at theforward end of the tractor frame tends to overbalance the tractorforwardly and downwardly, thereby requiring the operator to pressdownwardly upon the handles 35, which results in a desired increase oftraction between the tire and the earth upon which it rests. It ishighly desirable that the tractor frame be weighted at its forward endand ahead of the traction wheel, as this is a factor which is chieflyresponsible for obtaining the greatest possible efliciency of operation,maximum power at the traction wheel, and ease of manipulation'for thebenefit of the operator. The forward-end of the frame serves also tofacilitate the application and operation of a combined kick stand andbumper '36, which when lowered maintains the tractor in a standingposition with the handles 35 at a normal elevation convenient to theoperator.

The handles 35, two of which are provided, are secured to the upper freeends of the shafts 31 and 38, these shafts preferably being divergent inthe direction of their upper ends, and anchored in sockets 39 at theirlower ends. The sockets are formed integrally with the frame sidemembers i2 and i3, and may be inclined at a convenient angle to disposethe handles at a proper elevation with relation to the hands and arms ofthe operator. fine of the shafts, such as 38, may be furnished. with afinger piece or abutment All attached to a flexible wire or cable 4|whichhasa connection to the motor carburetor I n; 42 The other than :1may-camalever u: pivoted-sat El to, ccntroltthe clutch forthetractionwheel, through, the BIQ'QHGMOEKQ clutch control rod-45. 'I'heupperendofthe rodimayi be pivoted to handle 4 at. the location 48'. The throttlecontrol wire or cable It may: desirablyextend through the shaft, 38; andemergetherefrom at anopening 41+ provided in the socket portion of theframe side member 132 By means of' the controls 40 and M, the speed of"themotor may be; governed at. the will of the operator, and hemaycontrol the forward movement ofthe tractor by means of a clutch to belater described; The fuel tank for the motor is indicated by the char--actor 48, said tank being secured to the tractor frame or to the shafts31 and" 38 in any suitable manner. Set" screws orother suitablefasteners 43, may serve to anchor the lower ends of shafts -31 and" 38'within their respective sockets.

The drive from themotorshaft to the traction. wheel" 50 is unique'indesign; and affords a number of special advantages; increasing theversatility of" the tractor. The design not only results in. greatsimplicity and elimination of delicate parts, but affords also" theadvantage of maintaining the; traction wheel axle 3| in motion so thatit may be used as a. driving element for other machines or accessories:so long as motor 19. is in operation, and irrespective ofinovement of;the tractor and its traction wheel. Moreover,

axle 3| is driven at low speed, and accordingly may beutilizedin'opcrating slow speed accessories or attachments, such, asplanters, harvesters, rotaryrakespump jacks and the like. For thesepurposes the axlemay be furnished with a suitable power take oil'device, for example a pulley i" or a sprocket 52', asillustrated by Fig.2.

With further reference to the traction wheel drive as shown upon Fig. 2,it is to be noted that worm gear 30 has a hub 53 encircling the axle 3|,and is. keyed at 5 4, to said axle; A bushing '55 surrounds the shaftand extends through the gear case 32; and at the same, time provides athrust bearing for the hub of the worm gear.

The bushing maybe pressed into the opening 58 ofthe gear case, rotation.

A dog clutch element 51 is keyed as at 58 to the axle adjacent tobushing- 55, and may be and thereby be precludedagainst held againstlengthwise movement along the a-x1e .a perforated washer 65 which: formsa closure for theouter end of" hub extension 62 so as to form: achamber" 85: adapted: to. house a compression spring 61:. spring 61*surrounds: the axle 1i and tends constantly to urgethe clutch: elementsGland, 51. into engagement.

The washer or bushing 85: is. fixedly mounted upon the traction wheelaxle, andis slidably received within the: hollow interior or bore of,hub extension 61. Accordingly, to disengage the clutch. elements, it is:necessary only to shift the frame and axle relative to the wheel hub ina direction lengthwise of the axle that willcause theclutch element 6 toniovc away from and out or engagement with the: clutch "element; 8%,against; the, force oi spring: 6 1 In thiashiftthe'" hub: extension 62will move over the boss 53 frame member I 2,,gwhi1e the washer orbushing 1E5.. remains in abutmentwith the inner endlofsaid; boss 68;When the force whicheflecteddis engagement of: the clutch elements 5,!and: 6! is in openings 12 and 73 which directlubricantto the clutchmechanism and to the bearing surface furnished by the boss 68. Thebearing provided by boss 68 may be hushed as desired, or may be equippedwith antifrictlon bearing means. The same may apply at the location it,where the axle 3| extendsthrough-the gear case cover 33.

l With further reference to the powertake -ofl', this device may be inthe form of a stubshaft I5 carryingthe pulley and/or sprocket at; its

outer end, while the inner endthereof isscrewed into the internallythreaded bore 16 of' axle 3|. For tightening the stub shaft relative tothe axle, one or more flats 11 may beprovided; on the stub shaft toreceive a wrench or tool, used in applying orremoving the power take-oi!asisembl-y;

The traction wheel assembly is provided with a clutch throw-outmechanism to be actuated by" means of the hande lever 44 and itsassociated clutch controlrod This clutch; throw; out deviceis clearlyillustrated upon Figs. 2 and 5, and will be seen to comprise a bellcrank 18 pivoted upon a bracket 19 carried by the frame member 12. Thepivot for the bell crank indicated at 80, and isso located asto causethe finger'fli riding inan annular groove 82 in the wheel hub extension62, to force the wheel hub to the left relative to the frame inopposition to the compression spring 6! whenever the bellcr-ank isrotated in clockwise direction (Fig; 2). The necessary rotationalmovement of the bell crank may be effected by means ofa link 83 pivoted'to the arm 84 of the bell crank; said link having pivotal connectionat- 85with a plate 86 which is pivoted upon the frame at the location'81.

At 88 the control rod 45 is pivotally mounted upon plate 86, so that byreferring to Fig. 5, it will be evident that pressureapplied to thelever 44 in the direction of handle 35, will result in such movementof'plat'e- 86 as will causethe bell crank 'lfi'to shift thehub 6D to theleft relative to the axle and. frame, as seen in Fig. 2, for disengagingthe clutch. The control rod 45 may pass throuch an opening89providedinthe frame member" t2 beneath the handle sockct 39';

As'will beevident, release of: the hand lever will permit re-engagementof the clutch, under the influence of. compression spring 61.. However,should it beoonsidered desirable=tolock the clutch in disengagedposition, a suitable latch for the purpose maybe applied at the handlelever 44, as shown upon Fig. 5. The latch may be of any approved type,although, in the illustration given; it consists of a. hooked lever 90pivoted at 91 uponthe handleportion of: shaft, '31, with the hookportion 92 thereof adapted to i engage the forward edge ofa slot at 93,.formed in the handle piece 44. The. latch: may: heuro-x .t'a'te'd about"itspivot 9! to the latching 'orz'releasing; position, by means of afinger piece 94 conveniently located atop the handlev 35 ofcthe shaft31.: From the foregoing, it will readily be evident that the clutch forthe traction wheel may'be'kept'disengaged by means of the latch, :whilethe power take-ofi is in use, the tractor being stationary although itsaxle 3i may be con:- tinuously rotating- A second power take-off may beapplied at the end of worm shaft 23, as indicated by the character 95,for the purpose of operating the higher speed types of attachments,accessories, or independent machines to be driven from the tractormotor. Other power take-offs, of'course, may be applied directly to themotor shaft 2!, if desired.

The details of the combination kick stand and forward bumper areillustrated by Figs. 1, 6 and ,7. This device, indicated generally bythe char acter 383, may consist of a substantially U- shaped rod or barhaving a short leg 96, a long leg 91, and the connecting portion 98, thelegs being in spaced substantial parallelism. The short leg has its freeend journaled for axial and rocking movement within the smooth bore 99of a boss :lfiil, the latter being preferably integral with-the motormounting element it. A spring Hll under compression between a fixedcollar H12 and a face !83 of the motor mounting element, servesconstantly to yieldingly project the free end of leg 95 into the bore ofboss Hill. The spring permits shifting movement of the com;- bined kickstand and bumper element bodily outwardly of the motor mounting element,whereby the connecting portion 93 may be freely swung to dispose the leg9? from the lowered position of Fig. 6 to the elevated position of Fig.'7. In the lowered position, the leg 97 serves as a foot supporting thetractor in the upright position of Fig. 1, whereas in the elevatedposition of Fig. '7, said leg extends across the front of the motor.mounting element to perform the services of a ,forward bumper. Leg 96extends through a hearing aperture H3311 formed in the side Hi4 of the,motor mounting element.

As is most clearly illustrated by Fig. 7, the side Hi l of part 16 isfurnished with a laterally ex- .tending rib 35 which is provided with anotch H36 having opposed walls spaced apart a distance slightly greaterthan the diameter of the bar or rod constituting the portion 98 of thecombined kick stand and bumper. A forwardly extending section it? of therib, likewise integral with the motor mounting element, furnishes asmooth track surface 5% along which the portion 88 of the kick stand mayslide when moved from the elevated to the lowered position, or vice-versa. As will be understood, movement of the kick stand from theelevated position of Fig. 7

toward the lowered position of Fig. 6, is accompanied by bodily movementthereof outwardly of the tractor frame, due to the cam action imposed bythe track E58; and as the portion 98 of the stand reaches the notch leit will snap into the notch to the Fig. 6 position, under the yield-:ing influence of spring ml. Once the portion 98 .of the stand'hasentered the upright notch 106, it may not thereafter be swung to theelevated position without first shifting the stand bodily outwardlyagainst the force of spring Hill, to an extent necessaryfordisengagement from the notch; This bodily shifting of the stand andbumper element may easily be effected without traction wheel, while theleg B'Iis-in contact-with the earth, thereby to disengage the connectingportion 98 from the notch, and as soon as the disengagement is effected,the operator may tilt the tractor bodily forwardly to place the element98 upon track I98, whereupon the slope ,of;. -the track forwardly andinwardly toward the axis of the tractor frameserves to automatically camthe standtoward the elevated positionof Fig. 'l. The slope of the trackI08 combined with the force .of spring Iii l, renders this movement .ofthe standautomatic,- so that it assumes the elevated position withoutthe expenditure of-any substantial eifort on the part of the operator.To lower the stand from the Fig. 7 position, the operator need onlyapply a downward force upon leg B'L-whereupon an inclined face I48 ofthe ribis engaged by the connecting portion 38 and forces it bodilyoutward onto the track ,l08, whereupon continued application of forcebrings the stand to the lowered position at which. itis held by notchM16. It should be understood .in connection with the foregoingexplanation, that manipulation of thecombined kick standfl'and bumper ispossible only upon detachment of the lawn mower i-ES illustrated by Fig.'7, there being no purpose in using the kick stand as long as thetractor is supported at its forward end by the lawn mower. The free endH0 of leg 91 may be turned at an angle as shown, to render the kickstand most effective as a bumper, and to preclude the leg from sinkingin soft earth and to avoid any tendency of the free end to accumulatemud, vegetation and the like. The arm 91 pref:- erably spansapproximately the full width of the motor mounting element at theforward end of the frame. From the foregoing explanation, it will beunderstood that the combined kick stand and bumper may be manipulatedwith a minimum of effort and inconvenience to the operator of thetractor.

As was previously mentioned herein, provision is made for quick andeffortless attachment of various types of implements and tools to thetractor. By way of example, the drawings illustrate the attachment of alawn mower in Fig. 7, and a cultivator in Fig. 1. With reference to thelawn mower attachment, it will be noted from the dis- .closure of Fig. 1that the reinforcing gussets formed by the sides 184 of the motormounting element are formed with forwardly and upwardly inclined flatfaces l 52 through which extend the attachment bolts H3. Forwardly ofthe bolts the gussets are provided with angular abutments H4 which arepreferably at right angles to the faces H2, the-abutments providingseats upon which may rest the forward leg I15 of an angle iron or othersuitable member- H6 adapted to mount the opposed brackets 'H-Tthatconnect with the frame of the lawn mower. Each bracket ll'l may comprisean angle memberas illustrated by Fig. ;8, one leg of which is providedwith a perforation H9 adapted to'accommodate an extending pin or lug I20located inwardly of the mower frame. For this reasomthe pinor lug isshown behind, the mower wheel 121.. Th other leg 122 of the bracket may.incorporate a series of elongated slots M3 for the reception of one ormore bolts 24 passing through the angle member I it and securing thebracket in position'thereon. By means of the elongated apertures I23,the mower mount consisting of the-members [Hi and HT maybe adjustedasdzoits length, for accommodating mowers ,of various; sizes. The belt .113may or may; not pass through .oneiofi-the 9-- elon gatedlperforations523 ofthebracket. The character I25 indicates the cutting reel of thelawn mower, whereas I26 indicates the trailing roller customarilyapplied to a lawnmower.

Inusing the tractor with the lawn mower attached as indicated herein,the operator willfind that itmay easilybe steered alon any desiredcourse by simply guiding the tractor 'by means of the handle bars in theordinary way. Since the mower wheels are driven only by virtue of theiradvancing movement and contact with the ground, as in the case of anyhand operated mower, the cutting action ofthemower may be instantlyterminated by the simple expedient of lifting the tractor handles andslightly elevating the traction wheel above ground level, therebyprecluding advancement of the tractor and the mower. By properlymanipulatin the clutch lever, the mowing operation may be performed witha forward and back motion as is sometimes necessary when cutting a heavyor overgrown lawn, the tractor being easily retracted manually in areverse direction when the clutch is disengaged. By removing the pair ofbolts 3 at opposite sides of the motor mounting element, the mowerattachment may easily and quickly be disconnected from the tractor, andreplacement thereof is an equally simple and effortless operation.

It .is .to be understood that the transverse mounting bar H6 and bracketII! are capable of such modification or change as may be necessary toadapt any standard lawn mower for .1 attachment to the forward end ofthe tractor. .In the example illustrated, the parts I I6 and II! arerigid and may not be moved relative to the tractor frame when theseveral bolts H3 and I24 are properly tightened. Bar Hi6 is considerablylonger than the width of the motor mounting element, and will preferablyextend equal-distances at opposite sides of the tractor frame. Theangularity of the face I I2 at each side of the motor mountin elementdetermines the forward and downward inclination 'of the mower supportingbrackets I ll.

It may here be noted that the same arrangement as is used in attachingthe lawn mower may be employed also for attaching implements such assnow plows, lawn rollers, sickles and the like,

which would ordinarily not lend themselvesto attachment at the rear ofthe tractor frame. Plows, cultivators, drags, discs, harrows and similarearth Working implements ofa similar nature will preferably be attachedat the rear of the tractor frame, and to exemplify such attachments, thedrawings illustrate by way of example a cultivator attachment includinga unique means of attachment to the frame. The cultivator attachment isdescribed as follows.

The characters I21, indicate a series of cultivator plows each of whichincludes a forwardly extending arm I28. the free ends of which farms areclamped between a pair of squeeze plates "I29 and I30 by means of thebolts indicated at I3I Intermediate the ends of the squeeze plates, andin rigid relationship thereto, is attached an upright fork having spacedparallel arms "I32 and I33. The base I34 ofthe forkmay be welded,bolted, or otherwise securely attached to the cultivator plow assembly,disposng the arms I32 and I33at an upward andrearward inclination. Thesearms are adapted to extend between the spaced parallel legs I35 and I36of a U-shaped hitch element whose attachmentears "I31 are bolted as at138 to the cooperative hitch member of the tractor frame. Legs I35 andI36 are Iii joined tby means ofan integral strut I39 -whichiswinclinedcatapproigimately the same inclination a ;-the for-k arms 432and I33, and perforated Lat Mil to accommodate a bolt I'4I. 'llhis bol'tmay. preferablybe in the forrn ojf a carriage boltr having at one end ahead I42 withwan adjacent flattened shank portion to prevent J'turningof the bolt as a-nutis tightened thereon. The shankeictends between thearms I32 and I 33,. and through theperforation Mil-of thefhitch elementI39, and to the extending end of the shank is'threadedly applied a nutasshown at I IIanpon Fig. 1. F Sin'ce the .bolt head M2 -is sufficientlylarge to bear against a corresponding edges of the fork arms li32 andI33, i it will be evident that-byloosenin the bolt I41, the fork maybeadjustedinran upward and downward direction to elevate and-lower thecultivator. plows I with respect to the tractor --frame. At-anyadjustedlposition of :the fork, the bola-I 4] may be tightened by meansof a-wrench or l the. like,-to maintain the desiredcultivating depthpfthe;:plows. The legs I35 and -I 36 of the hitchelea mentrembrace the.arms I32 and I33 of the fork, to preclude spreading of the fork armsasthebolt- I4 I.-is tightened: against the strut 139 ofthe hitchelement.

With the rear hitch designed as just explained, the. attachment and Idetachment of cultivating tools, plows, andma number of other implementsmay be effected expeditiously and with la aniniminnnexpenditureofieffort on the .zpart of the operato'r. Adjustmentfor cultivating andiplowin'g depth easily accomplished at the singlebolt MI, and withtheaid of the kick stand lowered to "the 1 position "of F'ig. .6, l theadjustment-is Wary easily performed. cultivator"attaclfrhent cbmstructedas described will befound r'ig id and-earabl'e' in service, andin the event-or breakage -of the plows, these may easilyb'ereplacedby-Esi-mply loosening one or more of thecla'mping bolts 10'.

Referringhow to Fig. 1, and'particula-rly to the motor it, attention isdirectedto the elementsdic'ated at Mt which represents in conventionalmanner "an automatic clutch mounted u on his motor shaft '21. Thisautomatic clutch is or common well known construction, and its urpose isto complet'efthe driving relationship between motor shaft 2! andpoweritransmission element orpulle'y ,22, at speeds of "the motor'inexcess of idling speed. Thus, by manrpmatin' "the throttle cohtrblcurrents at the handlepf .th'e tractor, the motor may be operatedatidling speed without effecting transmission of power between the motorshaft a'ndthe pulley zaandoncerisucn acondition the tractor willnotin'ove even though the traction wheel clutch 57-'fi4 is engaged. This isparticularly advantageous whens'ta'rt ing the motor, and constitutes ,asafety feature whereby the tractor is precluded fromrunning over the:operator or getting out of control was the motor is started onpartially closed throttle. The-motor may bestarted by means of a cableor cord applied to the starterlpulley -l-dpripy other .common means-suchas a crankor pedal in accordance withtheusual practice.

In the use of the tractorufor .certain purposes, the automatic clutchengaging only at the higher motor speeds facilitates manipulationofthe-tra tonaparticularly when it. is necessarycorrdesirable tofrequently disengage the :mot'orwdrive yin wrewersing the direction .loftravel of the tractor manually. To m'os'tconvenientlyvaccomplishfrequent reversals, "smoothly and without :inducing da gers ll pematurewear of the parts, the operator need only close and open the throttle inalternation, thereby disengaging and engaging the automatic clutch. Onesuitable clutch for the purpose mentioned, is the well known mercuryclutch which is available upon the market. Other forms of automaticclutches, of course, may be substituted, if desired. The automaticclutch shown in Fig. 9 comprises a driving member M which is secured tothe motor shaft 2i, and a driven member I45" which is secured to anddrives pulley 22. The driving member 545' comprises two friction platesMEa between which is a flexible member or gland I45b of rubber or othersuitable material containing a quantity of mercury Hg which, when theclutch is at rest, occupies a ring-shaped space or cavity M5c near themotor shaft. The friction discs as shown are secured to axially flexiblemembers ltld secured to the motor shaft.

The driven member M5" comprises a housing D having end walls adjacentthe friction discs l45'a. The housing is secured to and rotates withpulley 22.

When the motor shaft is rotating at a speed corresponding to idlingspeed the mercury remains in the ring-like cavity of the gland, and thedriven member is disengaged from the friction discs l45a. When the motorspeed is increased above idling speed, the mercury is thrown out intothe gland by centrifugal force whereby the friction discs are displacedaxially of the shaft into engagement with the end wall members of thedriven member M5" and pulley 22 is driven by the motor through theautomatic clutch.

The tractor may be constructed without the automatic clutch in someinstances, and in that event the pulley or power transmission element 22may be fixed directly to the motor shaft.

In view of the foregoing description and the attached drawings, itshould readily be appreciated that the device of the invention embodiesmany desirable advantages and features of merit, as outlined in thestatement of the objectives of the invention, and which heretofore werenot obtainable in small tractors for home and garden use. In line withcommon engineering and production practices, the device may be subjectto various modifications and changes in the structural details thereofcomprehended within the scope of the appended claims, without departingfrom the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A garden tractor or the like comprising in combination, a frameincluding guiding handle means and a traction wheel having a hub, arotatable axle journalled in the frame and extending through the hub, avariable speed motor and power transmission means mounted on said frameand arranged to motor drive the axle and the wheel, and clutch meansassociated with said wheel and axle for terminating the drive connectionbetween the traction wheel and axle while maintaining drivingrelationship between said motor and axle.

2. A garden tractor or the like comprising in combination, a frameincluding guiding handle means and a traction wheel having a hub, anaxle journalled in the frame and extending through said hub, a variablespeed motor and power transmission means mounted on said frame andarranged to motor drive the axle and the wheel, a power take-01f shaftdirectly secured to one end of said axle, manually operable clutch meansassociated with the wheel and axle for 12 terminating the drive betweenthe traction wheel and axle at will, and an automatic clutch meansbetween the motor and transmission means for terminating the drivebetween the motor and said combination a frame, a traction wheel havinga hub, a motor on the frame for driving the wheel, said frame comprisinga pair of side members spaced apart in substantial parallelism and lo-'cated on opposite sides of said wheel and provided with guide handles,said side members comprising metal castings extending fore and aft ofthe wheel, each side member having an integral obliquely inclined boredboss extending'upwardly and rearwardly to receive therein the guidinghandles, one side member of the frame including a longitudinal bore toreceive a rotary worm driving shaft, and an integral gear case aperturedtransversely, a worm in the gear case, and a worm driving shaftjournalled in the bore for rotational movement, means fixing the worm tosaid shaft, an axle for said traction wheel extending through said huband journalled in the transverse aperture of the gear case and theopposite frame side member, a worm gear fixed on said axle in constantmesh with the worm, clutch means for selectivel connecting the tractionwheel to and disconnecting it from said axle, power transmission meansconnecting the motor and the worm driving shaft in driving relationship, and cross members rigidly joining the forward and rear ends of theframe side members, said forward cross member and side frames form-'-ing a platform for said motor.

4. A garden tractor or the like including in combination, a tractionwheel including a bored hub, an axle extending through said wheel hub, aframe in which said axle is journalled on op-' posite sides of the wheeland a motor on said frame forward of said wheel, said frame com prisinga pair of side members disposed on opposite sides of said wheel insubstantial parallelism to each other, an integral obliquely inclinedbored boss extending upwardly and rearwardly from each side member, anda guiding handle arrchored in the bore of each boss, one side member ofthe frame having formed therein a longitudinal bore, a worm shaftjournalled for rotation in said longitudinal bore, a worm fixed upon theworm shaft near one end thereof, transmission means connecting theopposite end of the worm shaft with said motor, a worm gear fixed onsaid axle in constant mesh with the worm, a fixed clutch element securedto the axle within the traction wheel hub and rotatable therein, a shiftable clutch element within said hub and slidable upon the axle into andout of engagement with the first mentioned clutch element, saidshiftable clutch element being secured to the hub, means yieldinglyforcing the shiftable clutch element into driving engagement with thefixed clutch element, and manually operable means for actuat ing theshiftable clutch element out of engagement with the fixed clutch elementin opposition to the force of said yielding means.

5. A light-weight tractor or the like comprising in combination, a frameof light metal having a forward end and a rear end provided with guidehandles, a motor supporting element at the forward end of the frame, amotor on said supporting element, a single rubber-tired traction wheelhaving a hub and'dispo'sed within said frame and between the forwardand-rear. ends thereof; an axle. journalled in ,said frame and extendingthroughsa-idhub, meansfor driving said axle, including a worm shaftdriven by the \motor a wormfixed on the worm shafts, worm gear on theaxle in constant mesh withthe worm, and a manual clutch for selectivelyconnecting thetraction wheel to, and disconnecting it from saidax'le, apower takeoif connection on said axle; and clutch actuating and motorspeed control {means on s'aidguide handles. I, i Y W 6. In a gardentractor or the like, the combination of a frame, a traction wheel havinga hub, an axle journalled in the frame and extending through said hub, amotor on said frame connected to drive said axle, and a clutch on saidaxle and wheel hub for controlling the driving relation between saidwheel and axle, said clutch means comprising a sleeve rotatably mountedon said axle and secured to said whee1 hub, a second sleeve mounted onand secured to said axle so as to rotate therewith, said sleeves havingengageable. driving surfaces, means urging said sleeves into engagement,and manually operable means for disengaging said sleeves, whereby saidaxle and wheel may be connected to and. disconnected from each other atwill.

7. In a garden tractor or the like, the combination of a frame, atraction whee1 having a hub, an axle journalled in said frame andextending through said hub, said axle being provided with a transmissionadapted for connection to a motor, and clutch means associated with saidaxle and said traction wheel hub for establishing a, driving connectionbetween said wheel and said axle, said clutch means comprising a sleeverotatable on said axle and attached to said hub to rotate with saidWheel, said hub being elongated and extending beyond said sleeve to forman annular space about said axle, a bushing on said axle mounted forsliding in said space, said bushing bearing against said frame, acompression spring between said bushing and said sleeve, a second sleevemountedon and secured to said axle to rotate therewith, said sleeveshaving engageable driving surfaces, said sprin urging said sleeves intoengagement, and means for shifting said frame and axle relative to saidwheel to disengage said sleeves, whereby said axle and wheel may beconnected to and disconnected from each other at will.

8. A mono-wheel tractor comprising a frame having spaced side framemembers, one of said frame members having a gear case on the outer sidethereof, a traction wheel having a hub disposed between said side framemembers, a cross frame member secured to said side frame members at therear of said wheel adapted as a mount for drag implements, a cross framemember secured to said side frame members forward of said wheel adaptedto support a motor thereon and to couple implements thereto which arepushed by said tractor, an axle extending through said wheel hub andjournalled in said side frame members, a pair of dog clutch sleeves onsaid axle within the hub of said whee1, one of said sleeves beingsecured to said axle and rotatable within the hub with said axle and theother being secured to said hub and rotatable on the axle, a compressioncoil sprin within one end of said hub and between the end of one of saidclutch sleeve members and one of said side frame members, said springnormally urging said clutch sleeves into clutching engagement, anannular ass-s 1 4 eatniefit "the coil spring Tend or sale that:

a ell ciaiik pivotedon-said frame endearing on armthereor in engagementwith said abut merit, tlie dther arm of said "crank beingi aiiapted forconnection to an actuating linkage which when operated nto turn the bellcrank in one direction moves the frame and axle relative to said wheelto effect disengagement of said clutch sleeves, a worm wheel in saidgear case secured to said axle, a shaft extending into said gear case aworm on said shaft meshing with said worm wheel, a pulley on saidsha'ft,a meter on said platform, a pulley and an automatic clutch on themotor shaft and a belt running on said pulleys, said automatic clutchdisconnecting the motor from the worm shaft at low motor speeds andautomatically connecting it thereto at :motor speeds above idling speed,said dog clutch being operable at will to disengage the traction wheelfrom the axle, the axle being driven by said motor through saidautomatic clutch while the traction wheel is at rest.

9. A mono-wheel tractor comprising a frame having spaced side framemembers, one of said frame members having a gear case on the outer sidethereof, a traction wheel having a hub disposed between said side framemembers, a cross frame member secured to said side frame members at therear of said wheel adapted as a mount for drag implements, a cross framemember secured to said side frame members forward of said wheel adaptedto support a motor thereon and to couple implements thereto which arepushed by said tractor, an axle extending through said whee1 hub andjournalled in said side frame members, a pair of dog clutch sleeves onsaid axle within the hub of said wheel, one of said sleeves beingsecured to said axle and rotatable within the hub with said axle and theother being secured to said hub and rotatable on the axle, a compressioncoil spring within one end of said hub and between the end of one ofsaid clutch sleeve members and one of said side frame members, saidspring normally urging said clutch sleeves into clutching engagement, anannular abutment on the coil spring end of said hub, a bell crankpivoted on said frame and having one arm thereof in engagement with saidabutment, the other arm of said crank being adapted for connection to anactuating linkage which when operated to turn the bell crank in onedirection moves the frame and axle relative to said wheel to effectdisengagement of said clutch sleeves, a worm Wheel in said gear casesecured to said axle, a shaft extending into said gear case, a worm onsaid shaft meshing with said worm wheel, a pulley on said shaft, a motoron said platform, a pulley operatively connected to the motor shaft anda belt running on said pulleys, said dog clutch being operable at willto disengage the traction wheel from said axle, the axle being operableby said motor while the traction wheel is at rest.

10. A mono-wheel tractor according to claim 8 characterized by the factthat a stub shaft extends into said gear case and is secured directly tothe end of the wheel axle located in said case and that the outer end ofsaid stub shaft is provided with a pulley or the like disposed to rotatein a plane parallel to the plane of rotation of said traction wheel.

11. A mono-wheel tractor according to claim 9 characterized by the factthat a stub shaft ex- :tends into said gear case and is secured directlyto the end of the wheel axle located in. said case and that the outerend of said stub shaft is provided with a pulley or the like disposed torotate in a plane parallel to the plane of rotation of said tractionwheel. 5

CARL VAN AUSDALL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

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